Survivor XH563

XH563 - Privately owned, Over Dinsdale, North Yorkshire

Vulcan B.2MRR XH563 at Bruntingthorpe, 11th June 2005; author

Built in 1960, XH563 was delivered to 83 Squadron at RAF Scampton in December of that year, the first B.2 to be delivered to any frontline unit. With 83 becoming a Blue Steel squadron, XH563 was moved on to 12 Squadron at RAF Coningsby in November 1962. It was a short stay and in June 1963 she was returned to Woodford to be converted to Skybolt fit and flew to the USA for electrical trials work. Skybolt was cancelled soon afterwards. She returned to the RAF - 230 OCU - at RAF Finningley in 1965, and in 1968 was transferred to the Waddington Wing (a shared pool of aircraft used by 44, 50 and 101 Squadrons) before returning to the OCU in 1969. She spent some time on loan to the Ministry of Technology but by the end of 1969 was back with the OCU, by this time at Scampton. In 1971 she was returned to Woodford for conversion to B.2MRR status and re-entered service with 27 Squadron in December 1973. Retired in 1982, she became a maintenance airframe at Scampton but her stay was a short one and she was scrapped in 1986. Donald Milne and of Banchory bought the nose section as a tree house for his 6 year old son! In 2003 Vulcan fanatic Paul Hartley bought her. She was stored at Bruntingthorpe for some years but was put up for sale again in 2006 and has since moved on to a new owner in Yorkshire. The interior was mainly complete and though the exterior didn't look great it was basically sound with just one tear in the skin. It also comes complete with nose wheel strut and wheels!